Monaco Grand Prix: Monte Carlo 'madness' to shake up F1

The sixth race of the 2018 Formula 1 season is nearly upon us, and it's arguably the finest of them all - the glamorous Monaco Grand Prix. Known as the millionaire's playground, Monaco is seen as F1's spiritual home and is the one race that every driver dreams of winning. Only four on the current grid have done so, but who has the best chance of repeating that success this year?

CIRCUIT DEBRIEF

• Close proximity of the barriers provides the ultimate test of precision for the drivers.
• Overtaking is extremely difficult, so a good grid spot is crucial for any chance of a win.
• Circuit calls for a high mechanical grip in order to be quick.
• Tough on brakes and suspension due to stop-start nature and high number of kerbs.
• Tyre wear generally lowest of the year, so the teams will use the softest tyre possible.

WHO'S IN CONTENTION?

Mercedes claimed four straight victories here from 2013 to 2016, but team boss Toto Wolff is "bloody worried" about their prospects this weekend.

Despite winning the last two Grands Prix in Baku and Barcelona, Mercedes struggled last season on F1's slower circuits, failing to make the front row in either Monaco, Budapest or Singapore.

Lewis Hamilton has two previous Monaco wins to his name, but Valtteri Bottas has a poor record, with last year's fourth-place finish his only points-scoring effort from five attempts.

Both Mercedes drivers believe Red Bull's pace in the tight and twisty final sector in Barcelona to be an ominous sign of their potential this weekend and have said they expect Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen to be the men to beat.

As the Red Bull team celebrate their 250th Grand Prix on Sunday, what better way to celebrate than by adding a fourth Monaco win to their already overflowing trophy cabinet?

Ricciardo in particular will be keen to put right the injustice of losing a near certain win here two years ago when a botched pitstop handed victory to Hamilton. His team-mate Verstappen will be aiming for a first Monaco podium this weekend. Last year's run to fifth place is the only time he has seen the chequered flag in Monte Carlo since his 2015 debut.

Despite Mercedes talking up Red Bull's chances, Sebastian Vettel is the favourite to win again on Sunday, having ending Ferrari's 16-year wait for a Monaco triumph last season.

Both he and Kimi Raikkonen have been first to the flag here in previous years, but with Vettel holding a 30-point lead over his team-mate, we're likely to see the four-time champion heading Ferrari's charge.

RECORDS TO TUMBLE

Pirelli has opted to take its three softest compounds to Monaco this weekend, but it's the appearance of the hypersoft tyre that has got people talking.

It will be the first time the pink-walled tyre has been used in F1, and Pirelli expect it to be between 0.7-0.8seconds per lap quicker than its ultrasoft compound.

Raikkonen holds the current lap record with his time of one minute 12.178secs set during qualifying last year, but there's a chance that as much as two seconds could be shaved off that this weekend.

Hamilton says the hypersoft tyre is "the best" Pirelli has ever produced, while Carlos Sainz Jr expects Saturday's qualifying to be "absolute madness" as a result of the extra grip the drivers will have. Don't miss it!

A CHANCE TO SHINE

It's said a driver can make more of a difference around Monaco than at any other circuit on the calendar, and the lack of emphasis on raw power levels the playing field somewhat for the smaller teams.

Giant killings like Olivier Panis with Ligier in 1996 may be a thing of the past, but Monaco can still spring a surprise further down the order as we've seen in recent years.

Perhaps the most memorable was the late Jules Bianchi barging his way past Kamui Kobayashi en route to scoring his and Marussia's only points in F1 four years ago.

More recently, we've seen the likes of Sergio Perez bagging a surprise podium for Force India, while Toro Rosso has scored points here in each of the last three years largely thanks to Sainz's prowess at the wheel.

EMOTIONS HIGH FOR LECLERC

If anyone deserves a surprise result this weekend, then Charles Leclerc may just be top of many people's list. His sixth-place finish in Baku made him the first Monegasque driver to score points in F1 since 1950, and he'll have extra incentive to repeat that feat this weekend.

Leclerc qualified on the front row for last year's F2 feature race, but his hopes of a dream home win were ended when a mechanical problem forced him into an early retirement. Just a few weeks later, Leclerc's disappointment turned to heartbreak when his father Hervé sadly passed away before he could see his son clinch the F2 title and graduate to F1.

Perhaps poignantly, Leclerc is also the godson of the late and much missed Bianchi, so you can pretty much guarantee there won't be a dry eye in the house if Leclerc brings it home in the points on Sunday.